by David Chadwick
Stress is one of the most common emotions mentioned in our society. Everyone seems so stressed out these days. Our modern society runs at a pace that often feels frantic, chaotic, and overly busy.
The pressures of life pile and pile until people feel paralyzed by the weight of the world. They come at us from all directions: job, finances, family, and friends, etc.
Let me share with you one of the statements that has guided me through so many stresses over the years: God is God and I am not and most of my problems come when I get those two things confused. In fact, Twila Paris sang a song back in the 90s called “God is in Control.” I would encourage you to go listen to it and remind yourself of this truth!
Only when you truly understand the sovereignty of God can you fully release the stress in your life. He really is in control. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” This is step one. Hush. Be still. Quiet yourself. And really pause and KNOW that God is God. Not only is this verse true, but all of the verses in Scripture are active and alive and available to you today (Hebrews 4:12).
God loves you and is in complete control of HIS world. Why start to worry now?
Memorize Scripture so that when the stresses of life come, which they inevitably will, you can repeat back to yourself what is true as dark thoughts begin to creep into your mind.
Finally, cast all of your cares back onto Jesus! 1 Peter 5:7 says that we are to cast our cares on the Lord because he cares for us. Then, contemplate the cross. It’s the most compelling evidence of God’s love. When stressful thoughts try to invade your mind, identify them, take them captive and make them obey Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). After that, you must cast any stress back onto Jesus’s strong, mighty, sovereign shoulders. Remind him that he promised to carry all of these burdens for you (Matthew 11:28-30). And then pause and feel the weight come off of you as the peace that surpasses understanding guards your heart and mind. You are meant to have a load that is easy and a burden that is light. He is the one who promises to carry all of our problems!
Today’s Prayer of Confession: Father God, deliver me from evil. Remove my stress and replace it with PEACE (Colossians 3:15).
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For more insight on today’s topic check out Moving Beyond Anxiety by David Chadwick. In his book, David shares 12 ways you can overcome life’s fears and worries—all of which come straight from Scripture.
Order or download your free PDF by clicking here.